Pied Piper Preschool will teach Wiradjuri language to its students in the future.
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A $10,000 State Government grant was announced this week for the Wallerawang preschool.
The funds will go towards funding a teacher and the purchase of a number of resources to educate the children of the culture of the local Aboriginal community.
Pied Piper Preschool director Luke Touhill said the model they were hoping to establish would include students from Cooerwull Public School who have been studying the language and would be able to pass on their knowledge to the younger children, as well as teachers.
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In making the announcement, Bathurst MP Paul Toole said he believed the program would be beneficial to both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children alike in the Bathurst electorate.
“Evidence shows that learning a second language has long-term developmental benefits for our kids, and this program will also ensure all children – no matter what their background – have a strong connection to the Aboriginal history of our region,” he said.
Minister for Early Childhood Education and Aboriginal Affairs said this is just another way the NSW Government is putting the importance of Australia’s rich Aboriginal history front-and-centre in educational settings.
“In 2017, NSW made history as the first state in Australia to pass legislation acknowledging the value and importance of language and culture to Aboriginal people,” Ms Mitchell said.
“We all know how absorbent children’s minds are in the early years of education, so programs like the one at Pied Piper will ensure they carry this knowledge throughout their lives and pass it on to younger generations.”